Electrically-operated sigktal for mail-boxes



H. R. NEWQUIST. ELECTRICALLY OPERATED SIGNAL FOR MAIL BOXES. APPLICATION FILED 'APR. 20. 1917.

1 ,307,305. Patented June 17, 1919.

Ill Illllll Iglflnlllllllf ATTORN EY WITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY R. NEWQUIST,

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED Application filed April 20.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY R. NEWQUIST, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVausa, in the county of Knox, and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Operated Signals for Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mail box signals, and more particularly to electrically operated signals of this character for use in connection with rural delivery boxes.

The main object of this invention is to provide a simple and practical mail box signal which will last for years without expense and in which the indicator of the sig nal will remain set until the mail is removed from the box.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of this character which can be cheaply manufacture and installed, and when once installed, no further expense will be i11- curred in the use thereof, as it is constructed to dispense with the use of a battery and bell, thereby avoiding defects incident to the resistance in the Wire occasioned by the use of long stretches of wire which are necessary to cover long distances between the box and the point where the signal is to be given; and which also avoids the expense occasioned by the running down of batteries owing to short circuiting.

Another object is to so construct an apparatus of this character that the operation thereof will be equally effective at long or short distances.

Another object is to provide a signal mechanism operatively connected to a rural delivery box and operable by the opening ofthe'mail box to place the apparatus in condition to set the signal to indicate that the box has beenopened, by the passage of a current through the electrical circuit in which the box is included.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the vcombination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

or WAUSA, NEBRASKA.

SIGNAL FOR MAIL-BOXES.

Patented June 1'7, 1919.

1917- Serial No. 163512.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the apparatus constituting this invention, the mail box closure being shown closed in full lines with the switch open and open in dotted lines with the switch closed and the indicator shown in operative position in dotted lines and in inoperative position in full lines, and

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the electric circuit used in connection with this apparatus.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, a rural delivery mail box 1 is mounted ona suitable support, here shown in the form of a post 2. This box is provided with a hinged closure 3 having an ordinary finger grip 4, said closure being here shown hinged to open downwardly. An electric switch is mounted on the box 1 and comprises a stationary member 5 and a movable member 6, the stationary member 5 being connected with a line ire LW, while switch 6 is connected with a ground wire GV, which extends down and is guided by the post 2 entering the round at the base thereof. This movable or pivoted switch member 6 is also connected with the closure 3 by means of a fiexibleelement, here shown in the form of a cord 7, said cord being connected at one end with the movable switch in advance of the pivot thereof and at its other end with an apertured ear 8 on the closure, so that when said closure is swung downwardly into open position, as shown in dotted lines, the movable switch member 6 will be brought into engagement with the stationary member5 and owing to the flexible connection of said member with the closure, will remain in this position after the closure has been closed. It will thus be seen that the switch which is normally open will be closed by the opening of the closure 3 and will remain closed until manually opened.

The signal which is to indicate whether or not mail has been placed in the box 1 may be located at any suitable or desired point, preferably about the premises or at the house of the owner of the mail box. This signal comprises an arrow 10 pivotally mounted on the outer face of a casing 11 which may be supported in any suitable or desired manner, and by any means, and which is preferably provided with a closure, not shown, to afford access to the interior thereof. Mounted inthis casing 11 is a generator or magneto G of any suitable or desired construction, and which is provided with a crank handle 12 for actuating it. This generator is connected with a single coil magnet M by a wire W, as is shown clearly in F ig.

I will operate to attract the armature and cause arrow 10 to swing into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.1 with its head pointing to the word mail carried by the outer face of the casing 11 and which will be occasioned by the passage of a current through'the circuit as will be presently described. The line wire LW is connected with a binding post 15 here shown disposed 011 the lower face of the casing while another binding post 16 is connected with the ground wire GW. 7

'From; the above description it will be; understood that the switch carried by the mail box is normally open and that the opening of the closure 3 thereof operates to close said switch so that when a current is passed through the circuit by turning of the generator through the crank 12 thereof, the core 13 of magnet M will be energized and thereby attract the armature in the form of the arrow 10 causing it to point to the word mail on the casing 11, and thus disclose to the operator the fact that the mail box has been opened presumably for the purpose of placing mail therein, as under ordinary circumstances, said box closure 'wouldbe secured by a lock, not shown, and

which could only be opened by the mail carrier and the owner of the box. 7

After the mail has been removed from the box 1 and the closure closed, the switch is again opened by disengaging the movable member 6 thereof from the stationary member 5 as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and

. should the crank handle 12 then be rotated,

the circuit being broken by the opening of the switch, no current will flow through the circuit and consequently the core of the magnet will not be energized and the indicator will remain at inoperative position as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and thereby demonstrate that no mail has been placed in the box, thus saving unnecessary trips to the box. j V

The line wire LW' may be mounted on any suitable supports and if necessary or desirable may constitute an ordinary string of barb wire constituting one strand of a wire ffence, the opposite ends being con copies of this patent may be obtained for nected, of course, respectively, with the sta tionary switch member 5 and with the bind ing post 15, and by employing the generator forthe purpose of supplying a current, all danger of short circuiting and the running down of batteries, which are usually employed'in devices of this character will be readily determine whether or not any mail.

has been deposited therein, and this means of supplying current which is only used when the switch is in closed position, and the generator actuated, will economize greatly in the expense of an apparatus of this kind and will greatly prolong the life thereof. 7 V

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire'to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as are with in the scope of the claimed invention.

I claim V The combination with a mail box having a closure hinged to open downwardly, a switch lever pivoted at one end on said box, a connector uniting said closure with said lever above the hinged connection of the closure with the box, a fixed switch member positioned in the path of said movable member, a normally uncharged line wire connected at one end with said stationary switch member. and a ground wire with the movable member, a magneto connected with theother end of said line wire, a ground wire leading from said magneto, an electric magnet interposed in said ground wire and having a core movable therein, a signal in the form of an armature pivotedintermediately of its ends and arranged'to-be attraced by said core when the magnet is energized, and means for operating said magnet to pass the current'through said circuit when desired to ascertain whether the switch is open or closed, said switch being closed by the opening of said closure.

In testimony whereof ,I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. HARVEY R. NEWQUIST. V .Witnesses: 1

, WM. PAUSTIAN, ALeo'r CARLsoN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. V r I 

